Phoenix cops call the murder of Terry Neely, 46, one of the most heinous they've ever seen -- and indeed, these details can make the most jaded news reader shudder.

Even the beginning of the attack was cruel: The suspect, Angela Simpson, 33, lured the disabled man into an apartment near 9600 North 12th Avenue by promising him sex. But Simpson (the smiley gal at right), who reportedly believed Neely was a police informant, proceeded to torture the man over the course of three days.

Neely had last been seen leaving an assisted care facility on August 2, and a missing persons report had been filed.

Channel 3 (KTVK-TV) was among the news outlets reporting the gruesome details. Their online article says Simpson beat Neely with a tire iron and hammer. He was stabbed at least 50 times. His throat was cut. A nail was driven into his head. His teeth were pulled out and he was strangled with a TV cable.

After killing him -- death must have been a relief at that point -- the woman dismembered his body, threw the pieces in the garbage and set a fire to cover up the crime. Police were still able to identify the victim by his fingerprints.

Cops think Simpson, who callously agreed to tell cops what she knew in exchange for a candy bar, had the help of another, still unknown suspect or suspects.

Ray has worked as a newspaper reporter in Arizona for more than two decades. He's won many awards awards for his reporting, including the Arizona Press Club's Don Bolles Award for Investigative Journalism.